SERMON I.

1 Pet. iii. 21.

-Not the putting away the Filth of the Flesh, but the Anfwer of a good Confcience towards God.

I.

HE Apoftle does, in thefe Words, SERM. let us fee with what a long extended Care Divine Providence has watch'd over good People. We have an Inftance before the Ceremonial Law was given; and, that is, the Prefervation of Noah and his Family in the Ark: And here's another fince it expired, That, we have through Baptifm by the Refur rection of Jefus Chrift from the Dead. In the firft, there were but few, that is, eight Souls faved by Water: The Flood that washed away the World of the Ungodly bare up the Ark, and kept it from dashing upon the Mountains And it is a Protection of the fame Kind that Believers have now; They are floating in a Life of Temptation and Danger where Thousands perifh eter

B

nally

SERM. nally on every Side, but they are inclofed in a Covenant, and fo kept by the Power of God through Faith unto Salvation.

I.

He fhews us, that as we are delivered by the fame Goodness that distinguished thofe eight Perfons, fo there is a Refemblance between the Ark, which was a Means of their Prefervation, and that Ordinance which God has appointed either to convey, or to publifh our's. The like Figure whereunto Baptifm does now fave us; that is, as the Ark was a divine Institution, an outward vifible Sign of God's favour, fo is Baptifm; they are both of them prepared for a felett Number, those that are the Heirs of Salvation: They are both defigned to exprefs and to help on the Happiness of fuch as have a concern with them: But neither of them have this protecting Virtue in themselves. The People might have been loft in the Ark as well as out of it, if the tender Eye of God had not remembered and watched over them there; and fo kept that fwimming House from being swallowed up by the Waves upon which it rode, or crushed by the vaft Number of Trees that floated about.

And fo Baptifm does not fecure to us the Salvation that it's appointed for, by any Neceffity, but only avails to that glorious End, by the greater Things that it refers us to.

We have it by the Refurrection of Jefus Chrift that procured it: He made the Title good, being raifed again for our Juftification, and from the Perfection that he went into, the Principles of Religion are fent down: And thus he is the Author Heb. v.9. of eternal Salvation to as many as obey him. This is what we profefs in Baptifm, that our Dependance for the Happinefs we are looking after, is on Him that died for us and rofe again.

That

..That Ordinance is a Seal that he has fet to his Covenant, and we ufe it as a Seal to our Hopes; by which we declare them, and ratify the whole Opinion that Faith has of a Mediator. So that here is an honourable Correspondence, a great Tranfaction between us, and our God, in the Solemnity of Baptifm. But though this is performed by external Actions, a visible Application of Water, yet do not fuppofe that the ceremonial, or the outward Part draws into it all the Happiness: It does fave us indeed, in the fame. Way that the Ark did, Not by the washing away. the Filth of the Flesh, but the Anfwer of a good Confcience towards God.

Thefe Words are inclofed with a Parenthesis, but the Holy Spirit thought fit to wedge in this tremendous Caution as an Antidote against the Indolence of these latter Days, when Men fhall have a Form of Godliness but deny the Power thereof: When they would keep up a Round of Religion and imagine it was enough, if they went through the groffer Parts of Duty without any Care about the Temper that led it on, or the Improvement that followed it.

What perverfe Difputings have we had from Men of corrupt Minds about this Ordinance. Some can drop an Opinion like a Thunder-bolt, "That without Baptifm there is no Salvation, "and without a regular Miniftry there is no

Baptifm, and without Bifhops no regular Mi"niftry, and without fomething or other (which "they have not yet determined) no Bishops." This unprofitable Enthusiasm has come on the Church like an Eaft-Wind on a Garden, it blighted where it blew, it deftroyed our Bloffoms, and left Caterpillars upon our Leaves.

Hence, fome have been perfuaded, as it is called, to renounce their Baptism, and receive the Water

B 2

SER M.

I.

I.

Rom ii.

28, 29.

SERM. Water over again from more qualified Hands; but alas how little is there in the Doctrine of thefe Teachers, or the Conduct of their Profelytes, that fhews a Regard to the main Design of the Inftitution? They confider not that the great Benefit of the Ordinance is fpiritual, and therefore inward; and we may change the Apostle's Words, and yet pursue his Argument, he is not a few that is one outwardly, and as little is any Man a Chriftian for the Sake of his Profeffion; nor is that Circumcifion that is outward in the Flesh, not but that it was outward in the Flesh; but if that is all a Perfon could fay of it, it paffed for nothing. And we may transfer this reasoning, that is not Baptifm which is external; we call it fo, but People are never the better for it, but he is a Jew, and he is a Christian who is one inwardly, and Circumcifion or Baptifm, is that of the Heart in the Spirit and not in the Letter, whofe Praife is not of Men, but of God.

If there was more Care about this, we fhould not have fo much Noise about Words and Names. It is no matter who it was that baptized either you or me, if we value ourselves upon this our glorying is not good: It is a greater Concern to know and feel, that what is resembled in this Ordinance is realized in the Confcience.

So again, it must be confeffed, on all Sides, that good People have been intemperate with one another, and argued with a Warmth that has done little Service to the Caufe; firit, about the Subject of Baptifm, whether it may be adminitered to Infants or no; and fecondly, about the Manner of performing it, whether by Sprinkling, or plunging. I dare fay there are many of both Opinions, who bewail the Exceffes that have come into the Controverfy, and could wish that the Difputants were Chriftians as well as Ortho

J.

dox; that in maintaining the Truth they would SERM. not grieve the good Spirit of God, but let all Bitterness and Wrath, Partiality, Noife, Clamour, and evil-speaking be put away with all Malice; that the Arguments may be as gentle as the Cause it maintains. I fay this is what all ferious Perfons of both Denominations with for; and well they may, for if they keep my Text in view, we fhall find that its but a very little Matter which of us are in the right, in comparison of this greater and more important Affair. Though it is the Duty of every one to be fully Rom. xiv. perfuaded in his own Mind, and happy is he that 22. condemns not himself in the Thing that he allows. Yet I have fomething elfe to take up the chief of my Thoughts: That whether I am to be baptized by dipping or fprinkling; I may have either of these, and yet no more a change of Nature than an Ethiopian has a change of Skin.

Let the manner of washing be either by pouring or plunging, putting away the Filth of the Flefb is not Baptifm, that is, it is not fignificant Baptifm, without the Anfwer of a good Confcience towards God. The Devil would very gladly fet us a wrangling about the Mode, on purpose to divert us from the Thing; for whether we are right or wrong in the Controversy, it's very poffible we may fall fhort of the Grace that is fignified by it; and then what will it avail to have proved from an hundred Arguments, and a thousand Authors, that we are right in the Manner, when God tells us we have no Lot or Portion in the Matter?

As it is the Defign of my Text, fo I hope you will be convinced its the Defign of this Sermon to carry you above and beyond the Difpute. And my End will be happily fecured, indeed, if you do but go away with this Perfuafton, that B 3

the